Lonzo Reynolds was born 3 Mar 1878 in Tennessee to Amzira Anthony Reynolds and his wife Clarasa Ann (Reavis) Reynolds. He was the eldest of the four boys (Amzira, George and Thomas) in the family, with an elder sister Estella, along with four younger sisters: Dovie Ann, Louella L, Ida Mae, and Bettie Alice. Amzira and Clarasa had married in Lincoln County, Tennessee in 1875, and it is likely that Lonzo was also born in Lincoln County.
By the early 1890's, the Reynolds family had relocated to Bedford County, Tennessee, settling into the community of Shelbyville.
February 28, 1901, Lonzo married his sweetheart, Nancy Ellen "Ellie" Freeman and they continued to make their home in Shelbyville, where they owned and operated a grocery store.
Their only child Amzira Reynolds III was born on 21 Mar 1902. Amzira would marry Pearl Dimple Johnson in 1923 and give them three Grandchildren: Henry Johnson in 1924, Mary "Alda" in 1928, and Ellen "Anne" in 1931.
Their youngest grandchild, Anne (Reynolds) always told the story of times she would visit Grandpa and Grandma in their grocery store. One of her favorite memories was when Grandpa would be out for a few minutes attending to something, and Grandma would come in and take a bottle of beer out of the cooler. She would look at her Granddaughter Anne and say, "Now, don't you tell your Grandpa!" A few minutes later, Grandma would be back in the house preparing dinner, and Grandpa would come in and pull out a bottle of beer. He would wink at his Granddaughter Anne and say, "Now don't you tell your Grandma about this!"
Anne had many good times at the grocery store and enjoyed spending time with her Grandparents. Grandma would give Anne and her brother Henry and sister Mary Alda candy. Usually, if Anne asked for a piece of fruit, Grandma would say fruit was too expensive. When Grandpa was there, he would give Anne a piece of fruit. Anne was happy because she got the fruit she really wanted, plus a piece of candy. Even when times were hard for their family, Grandpa made sure everyone had enough food.
During WWII, many things were rationed, but Grandpa Lonzo worked hard to make everyone happy. (As Anne would have said,) "The negroes didn't use a lot of sugar, so they would trade their sugar coupons for other things with Grandpa. Then Grandpa would swap them with other customers for the things the negroes wanted, and then everyone was happy."
The soldier boys would gather at Lonzo's grocery, and Anne remembered that "Grandpa always served the soldier boys beer, even if they weren't old enough to buy it. Grandpa said if they could fight for their country and die, then he would let them drink at his store." As a pre-teen and early teenager during the war, Anne looked forward to the soldiers coming to her Grandparents' store because she would sit on their laps while they drank their beer and told stories.
Lonzo and Ellie Reynolds talked many times about painting their grocery store, but they could never come to an agreement on the color. In frustration, Anne said "They would just paint it the same color of gray!"
Ellie passed away in 1948, leaving Lonzo distressed and at a loss. He sold the store and went to Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California to live with his son Amzira and family. He was not content, however, and always talked about returning to Shelbyville to buy his grocery store.
Lonzo passed away on 3 May 1949 in Long Beach, County of Los Angeles, California. His body was returned to Tennessee, and he was laid to rest beside his Ellie in Willow Mount Cemetery in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee.
By the early 1890's, the Reynolds family had relocated to Bedford County, Tennessee, settling into the community of Shelbyville.
February 28, 1901, Lonzo married his sweetheart, Nancy Ellen "Ellie" Freeman and they continued to make their home in Shelbyville, where they owned and operated a grocery store.
Their only child Amzira Reynolds III was born on 21 Mar 1902. Amzira would marry Pearl Dimple Johnson in 1923 and give them three Grandchildren: Henry Johnson in 1924, Mary "Alda" in 1928, and Ellen "Anne" in 1931.
Their youngest grandchild, Anne (Reynolds) always told the story of times she would visit Grandpa and Grandma in their grocery store. One of her favorite memories was when Grandpa would be out for a few minutes attending to something, and Grandma would come in and take a bottle of beer out of the cooler. She would look at her Granddaughter Anne and say, "Now, don't you tell your Grandpa!" A few minutes later, Grandma would be back in the house preparing dinner, and Grandpa would come in and pull out a bottle of beer. He would wink at his Granddaughter Anne and say, "Now don't you tell your Grandma about this!"
Anne had many good times at the grocery store and enjoyed spending time with her Grandparents. Grandma would give Anne and her brother Henry and sister Mary Alda candy. Usually, if Anne asked for a piece of fruit, Grandma would say fruit was too expensive. When Grandpa was there, he would give Anne a piece of fruit. Anne was happy because she got the fruit she really wanted, plus a piece of candy. Even when times were hard for their family, Grandpa made sure everyone had enough food.
During WWII, many things were rationed, but Grandpa Lonzo worked hard to make everyone happy. (As Anne would have said,) "The negroes didn't use a lot of sugar, so they would trade their sugar coupons for other things with Grandpa. Then Grandpa would swap them with other customers for the things the negroes wanted, and then everyone was happy."
The soldier boys would gather at Lonzo's grocery, and Anne remembered that "Grandpa always served the soldier boys beer, even if they weren't old enough to buy it. Grandpa said if they could fight for their country and die, then he would let them drink at his store." As a pre-teen and early teenager during the war, Anne looked forward to the soldiers coming to her Grandparents' store because she would sit on their laps while they drank their beer and told stories.
Lonzo and Ellie Reynolds talked many times about painting their grocery store, but they could never come to an agreement on the color. In frustration, Anne said "They would just paint it the same color of gray!"
Ellie passed away in 1948, leaving Lonzo distressed and at a loss. He sold the store and went to Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California to live with his son Amzira and family. He was not content, however, and always talked about returning to Shelbyville to buy his grocery store.
Lonzo passed away on 3 May 1949 in Long Beach, County of Los Angeles, California. His body was returned to Tennessee, and he was laid to rest beside his Ellie in Willow Mount Cemetery in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee.
Lonzo Reynolds was born 3 Mar 1878 in Tennessee to Amzira Anthony Reynolds and his wife Clarasa Ann (Reavis) Reynolds. He was the eldest of the four boys (Amzira, George and Thomas) in the family, with an elder sister Estella, along with four younger sisters: Dovie Ann, Louella L, Ida Mae, and Bettie Alice. Amzira and Clarasa had married in Lincoln County, Tennessee in 1875, and it is likely that Lonzo was also born in Lincoln County.
By the early 1890's, the Reynolds family had relocated to Bedford County, Tennessee, settling into the community of Shelbyville.
February 28, 1901, Lonzo married his sweetheart, Nancy Ellen "Ellie" Freeman and they continued to make their home in Shelbyville, where they owned and operated a grocery store.
Their only child Amzira Reynolds III was born on 21 Mar 1902. Amzira would marry Pearl Dimple Johnson in 1923 and give them three Grandchildren: Henry Johnson in 1924, Mary "Alda" in 1928, and Ellen "Anne" in 1931.
Their youngest grandchild, Anne (Reynolds) always told the story of times she would visit Grandpa and Grandma in their grocery store. One of her favorite memories was when Grandpa would be out for a few minutes attending to something, and Grandma would come in and take a bottle of beer out of the cooler. She would look at her Granddaughter Anne and say, "Now, don't you tell your Grandpa!" A few minutes later, Grandma would be back in the house preparing dinner, and Grandpa would come in and pull out a bottle of beer. He would wink at his Granddaughter Anne and say, "Now don't you tell your Grandma about this!"
Anne had many good times at the grocery store and enjoyed spending time with her Grandparents. Grandma would give Anne and her brother Henry and sister Mary Alda candy. Usually, if Anne asked for a piece of fruit, Grandma would say fruit was too expensive. When Grandpa was there, he would give Anne a piece of fruit. Anne was happy because she got the fruit she really wanted, plus a piece of candy. Even when times were hard for their family, Grandpa made sure everyone had enough food.
During WWII, many things were rationed, but Grandpa Lonzo worked hard to make everyone happy. (As Anne would have said,) "The negroes didn't use a lot of sugar, so they would trade their sugar coupons for other things with Grandpa. Then Grandpa would swap them with other customers for the things the negroes wanted, and then everyone was happy."
The soldier boys would gather at Lonzo's grocery, and Anne remembered that "Grandpa always served the soldier boys beer, even if they weren't old enough to buy it. Grandpa said if they could fight for their country and die, then he would let them drink at his store." As a pre-teen and early teenager during the war, Anne looked forward to the soldiers coming to her Grandparents' store because she would sit on their laps while they drank their beer and told stories.
Lonzo and Ellie Reynolds talked many times about painting their grocery store, but they could never come to an agreement on the color. In frustration, Anne said "They would just paint it the same color of gray!"
Ellie passed away in 1948, leaving Lonzo distressed and at a loss. He sold the store and went to Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California to live with his son Amzira and family. He was not content, however, and always talked about returning to Shelbyville to buy his grocery store.
Lonzo passed away on 3 May 1949 in Long Beach, County of Los Angeles, California. His body was returned to Tennessee, and he was laid to rest beside his Ellie in Willow Mount Cemetery in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee.
By the early 1890's, the Reynolds family had relocated to Bedford County, Tennessee, settling into the community of Shelbyville.
February 28, 1901, Lonzo married his sweetheart, Nancy Ellen "Ellie" Freeman and they continued to make their home in Shelbyville, where they owned and operated a grocery store.
Their only child Amzira Reynolds III was born on 21 Mar 1902. Amzira would marry Pearl Dimple Johnson in 1923 and give them three Grandchildren: Henry Johnson in 1924, Mary "Alda" in 1928, and Ellen "Anne" in 1931.
Their youngest grandchild, Anne (Reynolds) always told the story of times she would visit Grandpa and Grandma in their grocery store. One of her favorite memories was when Grandpa would be out for a few minutes attending to something, and Grandma would come in and take a bottle of beer out of the cooler. She would look at her Granddaughter Anne and say, "Now, don't you tell your Grandpa!" A few minutes later, Grandma would be back in the house preparing dinner, and Grandpa would come in and pull out a bottle of beer. He would wink at his Granddaughter Anne and say, "Now don't you tell your Grandma about this!"
Anne had many good times at the grocery store and enjoyed spending time with her Grandparents. Grandma would give Anne and her brother Henry and sister Mary Alda candy. Usually, if Anne asked for a piece of fruit, Grandma would say fruit was too expensive. When Grandpa was there, he would give Anne a piece of fruit. Anne was happy because she got the fruit she really wanted, plus a piece of candy. Even when times were hard for their family, Grandpa made sure everyone had enough food.
During WWII, many things were rationed, but Grandpa Lonzo worked hard to make everyone happy. (As Anne would have said,) "The negroes didn't use a lot of sugar, so they would trade their sugar coupons for other things with Grandpa. Then Grandpa would swap them with other customers for the things the negroes wanted, and then everyone was happy."
The soldier boys would gather at Lonzo's grocery, and Anne remembered that "Grandpa always served the soldier boys beer, even if they weren't old enough to buy it. Grandpa said if they could fight for their country and die, then he would let them drink at his store." As a pre-teen and early teenager during the war, Anne looked forward to the soldiers coming to her Grandparents' store because she would sit on their laps while they drank their beer and told stories.
Lonzo and Ellie Reynolds talked many times about painting their grocery store, but they could never come to an agreement on the color. In frustration, Anne said "They would just paint it the same color of gray!"
Ellie passed away in 1948, leaving Lonzo distressed and at a loss. He sold the store and went to Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California to live with his son Amzira and family. He was not content, however, and always talked about returning to Shelbyville to buy his grocery store.
Lonzo passed away on 3 May 1949 in Long Beach, County of Los Angeles, California. His body was returned to Tennessee, and he was laid to rest beside his Ellie in Willow Mount Cemetery in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee.
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